BUS passengers demanding action to improve a stop-gap service set up after the shock closure of Pennine Motors have handed over a petition to county councillors.

There were more than 1,250 signatures on the petition, asking for an improvement to the 16-seater replacement minibus service on the Skipton to Settle route.

The petition was given to County Councillor Shelagh Marshall, a member of County Hall's transport task group, at Gargrave on Tuesday. It will be discussed by councillors on the Craven Area Committee at its meeting next Thursday.

Ian Flynn, of Hellifield, one of the petition organisers, said people had been queueing up to sign, which showed the strength of feeling about the issue.

He said: " There is huge dismay about this - something must be done about it now, not further down the line. We have heard there may be another operator willing to take on the route, but there needs to be immediate action."

Comments (1)

Over 1250 people needing to use the same bus service as me tell me with such a demand how Pennine aren't here now ? It must be one of the most profitable bus routes going ? You know a few years ago now I went on a trip and had planned to use the bus whilst I was away only to find that you had to ring up the night before to book the bus in order for a service to be provided and some services weren't everyday either. We may have a lot less buses now and hope we can have one or two more but we sure are luckier than some. Just think ringing up tonight then in morning it's absolutely pouring down but if you need to go you need to go. Maybe we should try this system to see just how essential our journeys are ? We all like to save money where we can maybe we should help in order to help add to the service we've got. I know it isn't going to be popular what I'm saying but at least if it's a storm today we can leave it until tomorrow and not think can it wait 2 or three days until the next bus ? I just wonder how the youth of today would have passed their time without phones and computers but what did we all use to do before we had the bus pass ? It certainly has helped in the way I shop but then is it really essential if I go to morrisons or tesco rather than my local shop after all we are fighting for support as a community yet in other ways we choose not to support the members of the community we live amongst who spend there daily working lives not only trying to make a living but also providing a service for us all as best they can. As one of the old Pennine drivers said when they finished everybody who used Pennine was one great big community and that is what we all are one big community left reeling from the closure of Pennine so let's stick together and help each other how we can my friends.

Over 1250 people needing to use the same bus service as me tell me with such a demand how Pennine aren't here now ? It must be one of the most profitable bus routes going ? You know a few years ago now I went on a trip and had planned to use the bus whilst I was away only to find that you had to ring up the night before to book the bus in order for a service to be provided and some services weren't everyday either. We may have a lot less buses now and hope we can have one or two more but we sure are luckier than some. Just think ringing up tonight then in morning it's absolutely pouring down but if you need to go you need to go. Maybe we should try this system to see just how essential our journeys are ? We all like to save money where we can maybe we should help in order to help add to the service we've got. I know it isn't going to be popular what I'm saying but at least if it's a storm today we can leave it until tomorrow and not think can it wait 2 or three days until the next bus ? I just wonder how the youth of today would have passed their time without phones and computers but what did we all use to do before we had the bus pass ? It certainly has helped in the way I shop but then is it really essential if I go to morrisons or tesco rather than my local shop after all we are fighting for support as a community yet in other ways we choose not to support the members of the community we live amongst who spend there daily working lives not only trying to make a living but also providing a service for us all as best they can. As one of the old Pennine drivers said when they finished everybody who used Pennine was one great big community and that is what we all are one big community left reeling from the closure of Pennine so let's stick together and help each other how we can my friends.calmac